#314: Pricing power

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Simon Shares

• Markets have been falling, and the world has not been ending.
• Long4Life* (JSE code: L4L) has announced a purchase of Rage for R3.915billion with EBITDA of R360million. That's expensive and as they're issuing new shares for much of the payment also a chunky dilution. Management say the deal is not yet a done deal.
• Steinhoff (JSE code: SNH) results are due on Friday. They may not arrive and if they do they're going to create all sorts of excitement. But don't get sucked in, SNH remains a trading stock and nothing more. Reports I am hearing from VBE is that they consider the company bankrupt, and that's before the billions VBE hope to secure for shareholders.
• The Tekkie Town sellers continue their fight with Steinhoff Retail Africa (JSE code: SRR) and it's messy and it also suggests that maybe Markus Jooste wasn't the only problem at Steinhoff?
• BusinessDay is reporting that Christo Wiese has sold another chunk of his Shoprite* (JSE code: SHP) shares. This time via a book build to institutions, not via open market and leaving him with about 14% of the company.
• OUTstanding money: Getting rich takes time, not money
• Year-to-date going nowhere
• Debt in high-income households
• When to sell long-term investments
• Upcoming events;
  • Investing in BEE

* I hold ungeared positions.

Pricing power

Some industries have zero pricing power such as the mining industry who are price takers - a horrid space to be as your costs rise and you have zero control over income. Sure you can increase production to try manage income, but that often impacts supply driving prices lower as we see in the platinum industry.

Construction also has very little pricing power when building something is now pretty much just a commodity with stiff competition all competing for the same contract with price being the only key difference.

Telcos have little real pricing power as data is data so they are trying to make it all about the added extras.

I like to invest in industries that can determine their own prices to varying degrees.

Luxury cars are priced more on what the market will bear rather then actual cost of manufacturing. This is great for margins and profits but tough to sustain.

Luxury jewelry is the same, price is more about status and looks then cost to produce.

Burgers for example have pricing power but it is limited by two factors. What the customer can pay and what the other burger seller is charging. But you do have a fair degree of power ~ just be careful of UK gourmet burgers:).

Retail also has fair pricing power albeit to different degrees. Luxury certainly has more power than consumer staples, but the later has power in that they are staples.

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